Gate for wire fences



(No Model.)'

A. D. NEPF. GATE FOR WIRE FENCES.

No. 443,146. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARD DRAYTON NEFF, OF PETERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GATE FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,146, dated December23, 1890.

Application filed March 28, 1890. Serial No. 345,731. (No model.)

To all whom it 17mg concern:

Be it known that I, ARD DRAYTON NEFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Petersburg, in the county of Huntingdon and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new andnseful lVire Fence, of which thefollow- 1ng is a specification.

This invention relates to wire fences, and more particularly to thegates adapted to be used in connection therewith.

The object of the invention is to provide a durable and. cheap gate forthe purpose, which shall be neat in appearance and durable in use andwhich can be constructed of materials near at hand and of any size andshape desirable, according to the requirements of the case. This objectI accomplish by my improved gate, which consists, essentially, of fourtubes seated in metallic sockets at the corners of the gate, wiresstretched from end to end of the gate and wound upon the end tubes, abarbed wire along the top and bottom of the gate, passing around theouter face of each socket, nuts upon the vertical portions of thesockets for holding said barbed wire in place, and a diagonal brace toprevent the sagging of the gate, together with an improved constructionof hinge-leaf, especially adapted. for use in connection herewith, andcertain specific and adjunctive details of construction of parts, all asmore fully described hereinafter, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gate complete.Fig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a top edge View,and Fig. 4 is a top view, of one of the end bars in section and thehinges in plan.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letters T T and itdesignate, respectively, the two horizontal and the two vertical barsforming the frame or outline of this gate, said bars being each composedof pieces of tube or pipe of the necessary length to make a completegate of the desired size. These tubes are seated at their meeting endsin sockets S, preferably of metal, as shown, the outer upper and theinner lower sockets having cast thereon integral lugs L, one having aslotted inner face and the other a threaded opening. Withinthis openingis screwed the end of the inclined brace I, which is preferably composedof a stiff rod of metal whose opposite end is seated in a cup-shapedpiece C, the latter being pivoted within said slot in the other lug. Theend of the socketO op posite the end in which the diagonal brace I isseated may be slotted and then opened sufficiently to allow it to restlike shoulders directly on the corner S without the use of integral lugswithout departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The horizontal bars T '1 have each a righthand thread on the one end anda left-hand thread on the other, so that by turning them the ends of thebars can be partially withdrawn from the sockets S and the wires begiven the desired tension. The vertical bars it are also screwed intothe corners S, but the thread on both ends is alike-2 6., both areeither right-hand or else both are lefthand threads.

A barbed wireU is provided, which extends along the top and bottom ofthe gate, and the corner sockets are each provided with a groove G, forthe reception of this wire. The barbs prevent animals from pushing underthe gate or rubbing on the top thereof, which would soon cause it to sagand its parts to become loose.

The vertically-facing ends of the socketsS are provided with externalscrew-threads, and on these are screwed nuts T. The grooves G growgradually deeper as they near these screwthreaded extremities, and whenthe nuts N are turned the ends of the barbed wires U are clamped in thegrooves.

The letter \V designates horizontal wires, the same as are used in thefence of which this gate forms a part, and these may be barbed or plain,as preferred. At their ends these wires are fastened to the end tubes 25t in any suitable manner. It will be unden stood that by turning one orboth of these tubes in the proper direction a considerable degree oftension can be imparted to these wires, and in this manner the latterare kept tight.

In constructing a gate of this description the four tubes are first cutto the desired length and inserted in the sockets at the corners of thegate. The barbed wires U are then applied and passed through the fournuts where they occur, and these wires are drawn tight and held so bythe nuts N. The inclined brace I is then applied, orif the cupshapedpiece (7 is used this brace is applied when the parts are firstassembled. The wires V are then put in place and secured at their endsto the two end tubes 1, after which the tubes 1 are turned so as totighten the wires, and the gate is completed. All the wires are nowdrawn very tight by turning the top and bottom tubes in a directionpartially to unscrew their ends from the sockets S, and this can be donefrom time to time as the wires stretch and need tighteir ing. If thebarbed wires are much looser, the nuts N are unscrewed, the barbed wirestightened by hand, and then all the wires drawn very tight, as above.

The improved hinge-leaf which I preferably use in connection with thisgate is composed of two entirely independent members If h, the formerhaving a vertical notch V in its body near its outer end,through whichthe body of the latter member passes, and the member h having an eye 1'at its tip adapted to form part of the hinge proper-that is to say, toengage over the pintle of the hingeleaf, which is secured to thegate-post. The bodies of these members are curved throughout theirlength, whereby they are adapted to fit around one of the vertical tubes2, and their inner ends are provided with ears E, which are perforated,as shown. Passing through the perforations in these cars is a bolt 6,whereby the two members are securely clamped around said tube t, allclearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

I claim as the salient features of my invention- 1. The herein-describedgate, the same composed of tubes seated in sockets at their meetingends, the vertical arms of said sockets being externally screw-threaded,barbed wires seated in grooves around the outer faces of said socketsand extending along the top and bottom of the gate, and nuts upon saidscrewthreaded arms embracing said barbed wires, as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The herein-described gate, the same composed of tubes seated insockets at their meeting ends, the diagonallyopposite sockets havinginwardly-projecting lugs, a cup-shaped piece 0, pivoted in a slot in oneof said lugs, and a diagonal brace-rod seated at one end in saidcup-shaped piece and screwed at its other end into the other lug, as andfor the purpose set forth.

The combination, with the gate having the vertical tube 2, of thetwo-part hinge-connection comprising members lI h,detachably connectedat their outer ends and one of them carrying an eye '1, for the purposeset forth, the inner ends of said members having the perforated ears E,and the bolt apassingtherethrough, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the gate having the vertical tube 1 of thetwo-part hinge-connection, the same comprising a curved member II,having a vertical notch Vnearits outer end and a perforated ear E at itsinner end, an oppositely curved member it, having an eye r at its outerend and a perforated ear E at its inner end, the body thereof passingthrough said notch, and a bolt c, passing through said perforated ears,the whole constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARD DRAYON NEFF.

\Vitnesses:

JNO. M. BAILEY, M. L. SHENEFELT.

